


Colour Me Blue

by alexisnotokay



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Found Family, I'm practically indulging so hard, Kevin has a lot of feelings, Kevin's biwakening, M/M, Protective Kevin Day, Self-Indulgent, Soft Kevin Day, gosh I'm so bad at this, please stop me I don't know what I'm doing, tw: mention of rape
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-18
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:21:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27618265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alexisnotokay/pseuds/alexisnotokay
Summary: After getting over his breakup with Thea, Kevin has started noticing a particular boy and he doesn't understand why until he's stuck in a joint assignment with him. From there it's all downhill as we witness Kevin's bi panic and an unhelpful Andrew constantly glaring at him while eating ice cream
Relationships: Kevin Day/Original Male Character(s), Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Comments: 5
Kudos: 40





	1. Eyes on me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [deveil](https://archiveofourown.org/users/deveil/gifts).



He was someone you wouldn't notice in the beginning, even if you two were the only ones in the room, but once you saw him, you wouldn't be able to take your eyes off of him. 

And that's kind of the situation Kevin is in. And it is, evidently, not going very well as he curses the history professor for putting him through the torment.

-

It was all Matt's fault, in retrospect. "Go focus on your studies and stop sulking," he said. "You can distract yourself," he said. Well, distracted he was now. 

He'd gone to the library and picked up some random book on indigenous history but zoned out on the third line. He couldn't help it, his mind kept wandering to Thea. He'd known it was the right thing to do - it couldn't have lasted long anyway, there were too many bad memories between them to work out, too many flashbacks, always too much. It wouldn't have worked out, he kept telling himself, it had to be done. He couldn't bear thinking about it any longer. Maybe Matt was right, he was thinking too much and not paying attention in any of his classes, he was even distracted while playing exy even if no one noticed. Finally fessing up his courage, taking a deep breath, he started reading again. Now that he'd found a tether to reality in the rustling and murmuring around him - it was a busy day at the library with their upcoming exams - he could focus again as he read all about Thanadelthur to Gabriel Dumont, mind much clearer than it had been when he woke up.

That is, until he heard a deep sigh come from just two feet away, and he instinctively looked up because _how the fuck had he not noticed someone sitting right in front of him?_

Instant regret.

It's not that Kevin hadn't noticed boys before, of course he had, the bastards were everywhere. But for someone with such a quiet presence, he sure liked to attract attention. From where Kevin was sitting, the boy didn't seem any taller than Neil but was eerily pretty. He had his hair up in a little bun - hair not quite long enough to actually be in a neat bun but not short enough to be comfortably left open, it seemed - his eyes were definitely mysterious as he had heterochromia but they weren't quite visible since he was reading, he was in an all-black attire which was fashionably matched to not look emo but rather dark academia. His lips were in a semi-pout and Kevin realised he must've been working on the assignment for quite some time now. Even though he looked tired, it was clear he was determined to finish it as soon as possible. And that's when realised he was staring, so before the boy could catch him in the act, he tried to get back to his book.

Keyword: tried to. Now all he could think of was the pretty boy across him, and to say the least, it annoyed the hell out of Kevin. He was sure he was straight, you see, so it didn't hit him that he was admiring the boy, but he rather thought that his sigh had broken his concentration. _Fucking hell._

And so, with an annoyed huff and a wish to never see the boy again, he set off to get himself a coffee and get back to practice. 

-

Of course, life was never easy for Kevin, so now he was hyper-aware of the same boy sitting beside him. To be fair, it was Andrew's fault he ended up here. Said blonde has taken too long getting his hair just right that morning and by the time Kevin reached his classroom, barely any seats were left and he only liked sitting at the front. As a compromise, he sat on the only seat free in the second row. _Mistake._ He realised too late who he was sitting beside, but before he could grumble to himself, he was once again looking at the boy. This time he was wearing a beige turtleneck, a long black overcoat and black trousers. And this time he was also wearing round specs. _Jesus fucking Christ._

Kevin wouldn't admit it, but he's a slut for good fashion sense. And this, right here, was a masterpiece. How in the everliving fuck he managed to ignore this boy before, he wouldn't know.

Turns out, it was Kevin's ~~un~~ lucky day when the professor said, "You have to do a joint project on a topic of your choice. Your partner will be your benchmate, and don't take this one lightly because it's worth 20% of your grade. Take your time and make it impressive for once, it's due next month."

And before Kevin could finish processing the words, a paper was slid towards him and people started filing out of the room while he stares dumbly at the paper. Which had the boy's name, phone number and address. Holy fuck.

**Elliot Evans**

**4657765386**

**13, Frances Properties, Street 4**


	2. A New Perspective

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An insight into Elliot's life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have so many plans for Elliot, but I feel like him at this very moment, with not enough growth, just raw Elliot-ness is relevant too, so here you go folks: Elliot's life in his apartment and their first real meeting. Please don't fall asleep reading, I really tried.
> 
> Trigger warnings:  
> Obvious depression and PTSD, implied torture

He was, by no means, a happy person. Caring, sure, and he takes care of the two like a father, but he has a visible air of melancholy. As he makes dinner, he contemplates the event that followed that day. Pretty soon, he might get a text or a call to set up a time and place to work on the project. Now technically, he knew Kevin was good at history, there isn't a single person he'd rather do the project with. But then again, he wasn't so sure Kevin would be patient enough to deal with his quietness.

And he's pulled from his thoughts when the front door opens and a loud voice filters into the apartment, already ranting, "absolutely FUCK Mr Anderson."

This was a very normal occurrence, so he just replies, "you are very right, my friend. What happened?" Because he, too, agreed. Fuck Mr Anderson.

'You won't _believe_ what that bigoted son of a bitch said today-" and while he was interested, really, he was, he just had something else to tend to in that exact moment. Said thing being a text message, most likely from Kevin, which had him on his toes immediately.

**Unknown** **:**

_Hello, is this Elliot?_

_Yes, hi._

_I will be free this Sunday afternoon, does that work for you?_

_Sure, 1pm?_

_Sure._

* * *

Well that was about as well as he expected it to go.

"-and gosh, he always gets on my nerves. Hello? Are you even listening?" Oops.

"Sorry, I was, um. Making arrangements."

Very gracefully, they pulled the ugliest grimace one could muster. _"Making arrangements_? You don't make arrangements, are you being bullied into a drug exchange?"

Elliot couldn't stop the sigh that managed to escape. He knew this was their way of showing concern, but he was honestly too tired given the situation. "Kind of," he ended up settling for. Thankfully nobody touched the subject any further.

* * *

_"Oh no, not again,"_ is all Elliot can think when he wakes up. He really had been hoping some handsome assassin would come in sneakily at night and smother him to death so he wouldn't have to open his eyes again. Sadly, of course, this didn't happen as he was once again forced to get up and go shower.

He knows, in retrospect, that he should be thankful for every breathing moment - he knew he was in a better place, he was safer than ever now. At some point it gets exhausting though, because while it's all true, a few therapy sessions helped him realise that just because he got away doesn't mean the trauma would go away too.

Because each day, it's hard not to flinch away from water or heat, it's hard to settle into crowds without covering himself in layers upon layers of clothes and emotions.

Still, he had work to do, so he begrudgingly got out of bed, did a full body stretch, and went off to get ready. Feeling comfortable enough, he wore one layer less than he usually does and after making breakfast (pancakes and milkshakes, it was a lazy morning) sent off his hooligans to work.

He got barely half an hour to set up the study before the bell rang.

* * *

It being still early in the afternoon, the sun was up and bright, almost blindingly so. After Andrew dropped him off and he reached the apartment room, Kevin realised he actually didn't know visiting etiquettes. Like, was he supposed to bring something? People in movies do that, right? He only brought his books and laptop, but now he was here anyway, so he gave up on that line of thought. 

He was, admittedly, not ready to see the boy again, this time face to face. While Elliot wasn't dressed to the core in a dark academia outfit, he was wearing loose trousers(?) (Kevin didn't know, but he was sure trousers looked like that) and an oversized black sweater over a normal white shirt. And specs. 

He never understood how glasses complimented some people to such great lengths, but he wasn't complaining in that moment.

No words were exchanged but Kevin didn't particularly mind. The interior was nothing special, but he could see an abundance of plants in the balcony and kitchen which were both visible from the hallway of the open plan apartment. Paintings hanging in random spots, a white, black and mauve wallpaper theme, the distinct smell of cookies he could make out, courtesy of Andrew eating them in front of him deliberately. 

They reached the living room where the basic stationary was neatly set up on the coffee table. 

"Would you like something to drink?" 

Kevin had almost forgotten he wasn't alone, and he only got more surprised by the unexpectedly gravelly and deep voice the little man carried. The only other man he knew who had such a deep voice would be a sober Andrew, so he was considering the theory that short people in general tend to be that way. He declined and sat when motioned towards the low seat. 

"What topic?" So far everything was spoken in short barely-sentences, which really wasn't surprising. Kevin had an overall authoritative air about him, while Elliot was uncomfortable around pretty much everyone. 

Nevertheless, history was something Kevin could do. And he could do it better than most people. So he did. 

"The War of 1812, I could go on about America being the idiot Nation forever," Kevin huffed, and the tension seemed to dissipate a bit. 

Elliot's lip twitched as he replied, "now that's not much of a challenge, we have a big history of idiocy and starting wars," clearly amused and seemingly educated on his topics. Elliot actually surprised himself, he hadn't expected to speak even that much so early on. 

They quickly fell into a smooth rhythm of discussions and making notes on their respective notebooks and then comparing them. Which was, again surprising, but they welcomed it happily. 

And by the time Kevin left, around 3pm, Elliot already felt lighter than he had this whole week. Which wasn't much, seeing as it was a completely shit week, but it was still better than nothing. It was progress. And he was willing to work with it, even if not for himself. 

* * *

Elliot's eyes: 

Elliot:


	3. I saw you in a dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kevin needs an escape. Elliot is used to being just that.  
> TW: nightmares, mild angst

> _"It is late now, I am a bit tired; the sky is irritated by stars. And I love you, I love you, I love you — and perhaps this is how the whole enormous world, shining all over, can be created — out of five vowels and three consonants."_

* * *

Kevin was plagued with nightmares. Had been, for as long as he could remember. The nest had taught him to be quiet, though, so people barely noticed when he would wake up at 3am, chest heaving, eyes wild, the dark in the room immediately taking his mind to darker places.

Sometimes he would see Riko, back when they were just kids, back when exy was just a game they played because they truly admired Tetsuji and Kayleigh. The nights they would sneak out to play, with half-hearted insults and punches thrown. _Nine years old._ They would play the game of one and two, thoroughly enjoying themselves, because they were kids. They hadn't an idea what this would progress into.

The dream morphed.

Those same half-hearted insults became more real, that same game was now forced, and Riko did everything to ensure that Kevin stayed number 2, no matter what.

This was a recurring dream, so familiar - it would always end in Riko breaking his hand and his own screams echoing in his head till it bordered unbearable. He would always end up staying in bed and staring at nothing, and once that too got unbearable, he'd go up to the roof, silently, because he was aware Andrew was a light sleeper. And he'd be damned if anyone saw this side of him, so private, something he refused to share. 

He wasn't so oblivious, he knew people called him a coward. He believes it entirely, because he knows it's true. Jean is the living testament to it. 

The only reason he kept this to himself? Guilt.

He felt he didn't deserve to be scared like this; not when he knew how Jean had been after he met him just a month ago. Not when he knew what Neil had to do in the nest, when he saw how Neil started flinching away from loud noises not long after. Not when he saw what had happened to Andrew, who still protected him.

He felt undeserving of anything, and in these moments, alone on the roof, he felt more worthless than he'd ever imagined. 

This night was no different; he lay on his back and stared at the stars. He hadn't been able to do this at the nest, he wasn't granted that kind of freedom. Any kind of freedom, really. And on the concrete floor of the roof, he let his heart bleed out, like it often did, mixing with the thoughts of other such nights, swirling into a beautiful contrast.

His phone buzzed.

It was a message from Elliot; the picture a messy table, a work in progress. It looked like a flower, but in the dim lighting of the room, Kevin could be horribly wrong.

They had grown closer over the weeks, their project was almost done and due in the next week, and they started sitting together in all the classes they had together. Snarky comments were mumbled for just the two of them to hear whenever the teacher or one of the students said something stupid. Which was very often. Kevin had grown familiar with the messages Elliot sent; usually pictures of something he baked on occasion, sometimes aesthetic pictures of his work - just like right now - and sometimes just setting up and date and time to meet for the continuation of the project.

This was the first time he sent a message this late, though, and Elliot being Elliot was concerned when he saw Kevin had read the message.

**Elliot:**

_[image attachment]_

_Why are you awake?_

_Came back from practice, couldn't sleep._

* * *

He really did feel bad about lying to Elliot, but he'd made up his mind long ago. It didn't look like there would be a response, so he locked his phone and continued watching the stars. 

It happened sometimes, Elliot would forget to reply or he'd think he replied but it'd be in his head. Kevin was used to it since it'd happened more than a few times already. 

What _was_ new, though, was his phone buzzing. 

Elliot never called. 

It was silent for some time once Kevin picked up, Elliot likely either thinking about what to say or waiting for Kevin to speak first. He almost thought it was an accidental call, when Elliot said, _"so whatcha doing?"_

His voice ws deeper, likely from disuse, and also because he liked having tea with ginger at night, which was revealed during one of their many conversations while working on the project.

"Just lying down," Kevin said, because he, too, never talked on phone. That was one of the things they bonded over.

 _"In your bed?"_ is what startled him; the tone was almost as if Elliot knew Kevin wasn't doing something right.

He considered. "On the roof," he said in a moment of honesty, because he'd known Elliot for almost a month now and everything they talked about made him feel safe and light, like they were more alike than possible.

Like Kevin was seen.

Only a hum came as a response to that. But it felt like Elliot might continue, so Kevin jumped in first.

"What are _you_ doing awake?"

_"I told you, art students have it rough. Got an assignment due tomorrow evening, and I'd rather get done with it. Though I think I'm managing just fine, I can go to sleep right now and make it just in time."_

Again, silence enveloped them, but it was comfortable, much like when they worked together. Some flattering could be heard on the other side, Elliot likely tidying up. Then a jingle of keys. And doors being shut.

"Are you going somewhere?"

_"To the park."_

"At 3 fucking am? Why?"

A moment of silence.

_"Why not?"_

Elliot often left Kevin like that. _Why not?_ It wasn't a big deal. Most people wouldn't have given a second of thought to that. But Kevin was a man who had spent most of his life making careful decisions, staying out of trouble. He essentially always asked himself _why_ and weigh out the merits and demerits. _It's risky,_ his mind had always supplied, and he never ended up doing anything.

 _"Would you like to join me? It's not far from your dorm."_ It was quiet, like Elliot always was, but it was resounding enough to pull Kevin out of his thoughts.

"Yeah. Yeah, okay, I'll uh... I'll be there soon. Greenwater Park?" 

The call disconnected after a short hum.

_Why not? I'm allowed to go out when I want._

* * *

Kevin reached the park within two minutes. Elliot came a minute later.

"Did you run here? In this cold weather? Wearing _that_?"

And, well. Hm.

Kevin had really not paid any attention to it at all. He was still in his pajamas, and while they were warm, they were certainly not enough to keep out the November cold. Still, he _did_ run there, so the adrenaline would hopefully keep him warm for a few minutes.

He shrugged, because he really had no idea what to do now that they were here.

Elliot did, it seems, because he let out a huff of air and moved towards the swingsets, taking out his phone. When they both were seated, swinging lightly, he put on some music.

They watched the stars.

They stayed in companionable silence once again, but there was an itch under Kevin's skin.

"What do you think about?"

"Hm?"

"When you're here, you just stare ahead, what do you see?"

"I'm not looking, per se. I'm thinking and I'm not thinking. I'm filling my heart with feelings and emptying out my head. I mostly focus on the music, let it run through my veins... I look at the sky. I see nothing and I see everything. I'm alone most times I come here, tonight you're here. Other times I talk to the air through my breathing. Tonight I can share with you."

So he came here often. And Kevin had to focus on that so be didn't let his mind wander to any of the other things Elliot had just said.

It was a night of truths, it seemed, because there were implications in that sentence that didn't go by unnoticed. Kevin didn't want to think about that right now, though. He needed an anchor, needed something to ground him, to hold him down, make him feel sane-

"Listen to the music." 

A quiet command.

An understanding.

So he did, and let the music 'run through his veins', hoping it would do to him what it did to Elliot. He seemed calm. All the time. Sad, perhaps, but calm.

They stayed for just about 15 minutes before Kevin started shivering and they decided to go their separate ways.

* * *

> _"When one is alone and lonely, the body gladly lingers in the wind or the rain, or splashes into the cold river, or pushes through the ice-crusted snow._
> 
> _Anything that touches."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone wants to listen to the playlist Elliot played, here it is: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2Sgr85tvejHUb2IHjg3UZJ?si=o2Ke1uTNQyO3JnnwFfpLaA  
> It is also very reflective of Elliot's personality.

**Author's Note:**

> Listen, I tried, I'm sorry if this sucks, I swear I don't have any plans for this and I'll update soon as I can  
> I'm sorry again if it was boring, I hope it doesn't stay that way forever XD


End file.
